The Possessor Mistook the Genre for 20 Years

12 – Slave Rescue Plan

As soon as Hera left the restaurant, she immediately suggested going to the lodging.

Franz, who was flustered by this, blinked blankly and then belatedly opened his mouth.

“Why the lodging?”

“Well, there are too many ears listening here. As you said, I seemed to be in a hurry, so I thought I’d take it slow and make a plan. Unless you have another idea?”

According to Franz’s plan, after the meal, she had regained some of her composure, unlike before.

‘But usually, don’t you explain the reason first?’

Franz felt a little unfair about being flustered, but decided to let it go, thinking it was better than dealing with a villainess who wanted to destroy the world.

“Well, no, I didn’t really think of anything.”

“Then let’s go quickly. Even though my impatience is gone, time is still tight.”

With that, the two of them started walking through the streets of Cal Desien.

There were really many people on the streets.

The shop owners soliciting customers and the shoppers looking to buy, combined with the street vendors, created a veritable sea of people.

And whenever one looked into the alleyways where light didn’t reach, there were always two or three rough-looking individuals.

They were undoubtedly involved in shady dealings.

“Here it is.”

Hera opened the wooden door of a shabby building and went inside.

Franz followed her in.

‘It’s ordinary.’

The inn where Hera was staying was quite unremarkable.

On the first floor was a restaurant, and from the second floor up were the rooms, a typical inn.

Hera climbed the stairs briskly and inserted a key into the door at the very end of the corridor.

As the door opened, a chilling creak echoed through the hallway.

“Franz, I’m sorry, but there’s nowhere to sit. If you don’t mind, please make yourself comfortable on the bed.”

Hera, having entered the room, said this as she pushed back the hood she had been wearing.

Then, the long ears characteristic of the elf race, which had been hidden, were revealed.

Franz thought as he looked at her.

‘It’s fascinating every time I see it.’

Usually, creatures evolve in ways that are advantageous for survival, but he couldn’t understand how the long ears of elves were beneficial for survival.

It’s not like they hear better because their ears are long.

And they don’t shoot telepathy from their ears either.

He wanted to ask, but he was afraid it might be rude, so the question he had since their first meeting remained unanswered.

Well, anyway.

“What are you planning to do? Do you have a plan?”

“I had a plan, but it hit a snag. I’ll talk about that later. For now, let me tell you the target: Lord Gidrick of Cal Desien.”

Lord Gidrick of Cal Desien.

As expected, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. It was just as Franz had anticipated.

But.

“A snag in the plan?”

Franz found it hard to believe.

It was Hera, after all.

With the prowess she had shown in the hero’s party, she could easily break through the guards of any mansion.

So he asked.

“What caused the plan to go awry?”

“Rumor has it that someone has been rescuing elf slaves among the nobles these days. Upon hearing that rumor, Gidrick hired a rather famous wizard. It was definitely the Wizard of Traps.”

“The Wizard of Traps…? Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

That’s strange. There’s no such person.

In Franz’s memory, there was no wizard with the alias of the Wizard of Traps.

Even if he wasn’t affiliated with the Magic Tower, if he was famous enough, Franz would have heard of him as a fellow practitioner.

At that moment, a forgotten memory flashed in Franz’s mind.

‘Could it be that guy…?’

Back when Franz was still a member of the Magic Tower, there was a peculiar guy who studied trap magic.

He used to bully Franz under the pretext of being his senior.

He would order him to fetch tea, clean the lab, and even get caught in his own traps.

‘But he disappeared.’

When Franz became the head of the Magic Tower, he searched for the guy, but he had already vanished from the tower.

However, back then, his alias wasn’t something grand like the Wizard of Traps…

‘It was Rat Trap.’

The elders of the Magic Tower despised him for not competing fairly with ancient magic and instead researching traps.

Even Franz, who usually hated the elders, couldn’t help but agree with them at that time.

Rat Trap, what a fitting nickname.

“Franz, why are you laughing…?”

“No, just some old memories. That guy called the Wizard of Traps, you don’t need to worry about him. I’ll take care of it.”

Franz was delighted for the first time in a long while.

The Wizard of Traps?

What kind of wizard is a rat trap?

You’re dead today.

“Is that so? As expected, the greatest wizard on the continent is different. Calling you was the right decision.”

“Then there’s no more disruption to the plan, right? Explain the plan to me.”

“It’s simple. We rescue the elves trapped underground and kill Gidrick. That’s it.”

Franz couldn’t help but let out a chuckle in disbelief.

The explanation of the plan was utterly absurd.

‘How to make a fried egg: fry an egg.’ It was hardly any different from that level.

‘But then again, it’s not entirely nonsensical.’

With two members of the hero party gathered, the mansion’s security was practically meaningless.

It’s true that frying an egg results in a fried egg.

And in the first place, Hera was scared out of her wits by her own assumptions, but she probably could have managed it alone.

After all, a mousetrap is meant to catch mice, not people.

“So, that’s the end of the operation plan?”

“That’s right. But Franz, I have something to say.”

Something to say…?

Come to think of it, Hera had tried to say something at the restaurant, but it was interrupted when the food arrived.

She had mentioned something about being worried, if I recall correctly.

Gulp.

Franz swallowed nervously at the inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Then he cautiously opened his mouth.

“What is it you want to say?”

“If we rescue all the elf slaves, I don’t know what to do next. What am I supposed to live for? I’ve lost the Great Forest, the World Tree, my family, and my friends.”

Hera vented her frustration with a look that seemed on the verge of collapse.

And at the same time, a notification window appeared.

＜Warning!＞

＜Elf Archer Hera’s emotions are running wild! If left unchecked, it could negatively impact the outcome!＞

Why is it that these ominous premonitions never miss?

A sigh escaped Franz’s lips.

The only consolation was that, unlike the saint, this one was still contemplating.

So if handled carefully now, she might not turn into a villain.

Having finished his thoughts, Franz asked cautiously.

“What do you want to do? Do you want to return to the Great Forest?”

“I… don’t know…. I can’t tell if the other elves are in cahoots with them or if it’s really a misunderstanding….”

“Well, take your time to think about it. If you really have nothing else to do, come to the Magic Tower. It might not be as grand as rescuing elf slaves, but I can definitely find a place for you.”

“I can’t impose on you that much….”

“Enough. What burden? It’s just giving you a job, so don’t think of it that way.”

The problem is when Hera’s elf slave rescue will end.

No, will it ever end in the first place?

If the scum keep cunningly selling off elves, Hera will have no choice but to keep rescuing elf slaves.

‘Do I need to eliminate the root cause?’

It seems difficult to do that right now, so I’ll have to think about it slowly.

Fortunately, the plan seemed to work, as Franz confirmed that the notification window in front of him had disappeared.

A sigh of relief escaped from Franz’s lips.

It was then.

“Burden… you say. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier…”

“Sorry? For what?”

“I don’t have enough money to pay for a designated dispatch…”

Franz, who was momentarily startled, let out a sigh of relief.

How many times is he going to surprise me?

In fact, calling the Tower Lord for a designated dispatch is really expensive.

Not that it would happen often in the first place.

However, Franz wasn’t heartless enough to take money in this situation.

“Forget the money, just think of it as helping out as a comrade of the hero party.”

“No, that won’t do. Elves do not live with debts, even if they give.”

“Then just give me a fairy tale.”

“Franz, I’m speaking seriously right now.”

Franz rubbed his forehead at Hera’s old-fashionedness, which he hadn’t seen in a long time.

They say no one in the world dislikes free things, but it seems this elf really hates free things.

At that moment, Hera nodded as if something had come to mind.

“Didn’t you say you’d give me a place earlier?”

“I did…?”

“So, what I’m saying is, after rescuing all the elves, I’ll repay today’s favor with my body. After all, the amount for the Tower Lord’s designated dispatch can’t be repaid in a lifetime by working normally.”

Franz momentarily doubted his ears.

As he blinked blankly, Hera delivered the final blow.

“Do you not understand? I’m saying I’ll become a slave and repay it for life, Franz.”

Helping with the work, only to be made a criminal…

Franz raised his hand to his forehead.